Bedford Humane Society Virginia Lost & Found Pets

The Bedford Humane Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to welfare of the animals of the Bedford Community. TIPS FOR FINDING A LOST CAT:

You may want to put a can of warmed up tuna or sardines on your front step as well as his/her food and water. Also, be sure to put up signs everywhere (your neighborhood, the surrounding neighborhoods, local and surrounding vet offices, pet stores, gro

cery stores, gas stations, local and surrounding animal shelters, etc.) with your cat's picture (if possible) or a good description, a good contact number, and a reward if one is being offered. Also be sure to check with your local and surrounding animal shelters every other day. Putting a flier on each side of your car in the window will also help get the word out. Try to get your cat's picture on the flier. It will really help. If you know the general vicinity of where your cat may be, you may want to borrow a live animal trap from your local animal control. If your local animal control does not loan them out, I believe that Home Depot sells them, or you could buy one at Havahart online at www.havahart.com. When you get the trap, put the warmed up can of tuna or sardines in the trap at the opposite end of where the door is (if your cat doesn't like wet cat food, try putting some dry cat food in there as well, but keep the wet food in there too in order to attract him to the cage by the smell). When your cat goes into eat it, the door will automatically close behind him/her. Be sure to keep an eye on the trap at all times (at a distance) in case of predators, bad weather, bad-intentioned people, catching another animal by mistake, etc. The trap idea has been really successful in catching cats that are only indoor cats, scaredy cats, etc. Also be sure to check your house inside and out as well as around your neighbors' houses in case he/she got trapped somewhere. Asking your neighbors to check their garages, sheds, under their decks, etc. might be a very good idea as well, as many cats have been known to get trapped in garages, sheds, etc. when a door is left open unintentionally. Storm drains are another place that cats like to hide in, so be sure to check them as well. TIPS FROM Craigslist that may also help you find your cat as well:
Don't give up. Look under brush and treed areas within one mile. She may be trapped and can't get home. She may be trapped, especially if wearing a non-break away collar or flea collar. Also, a good Samaritan may have picked her up and transported her to their local shelter, which may be in surrounding counties! Visit all surrounding shelters for weeks, even months! Check all nearby house renovations, broken windows or doors that she could have run into and then gotten stuck in behind by mistake to stay warm and
dry (or if scared). She may be nearby (even trapped in your own house) but is scared and you can't hear her as well. This happened to me. He went into a broken window in the row house next door (into the basement boiler room) and the door was shut behind him.

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http://www.lostapet.org/recovery-lostcat.php - read about the behavior of indoor and outdoor cats when they get lost.
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Put his/her litterbox outside. If your cat is an indoor cat and not used to or has never been outside, it is easy for him/her to get lost; however, cats can smell very well, and it has been known to bring a lost kitty home. If your cat is not fixed, he/she can and will travel for days and miles to breed, which will mean that you will have to increase your search radius. If your cat is fixed, he/she will most likely stay with 1/8 of a mile from home (unless someone picked him/her up).

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Chances are your missing pet is very close to home or where you saw it last, but is simply too afraid to move around until things quiet down. It's very important to call out for your pet for hours (!yes!) and also listen. You might have to do this for a week until they get hungry enough to move. Calling for your cat in the early morning hours and really late at night is the best time, as that's when it's the quietest and your cat may feel more comfortable calling out to you at that time. Numerous posters with all your info should be posted close to home and places where the general public will see it (grocery stores, post office, library, gas stations, restaurants, etc.). Contact local police, vets, and shelters and stay in touch with them. Ask neighbors to keep checking their sheds and garages. Even a starving cat will hide in a shed if a stranger opens the door.